Caramelized Onion Bread [Recipe With Garlic]
This is the softest, airiest, and spongiest bread you’ll ever taste. This is high-hydration bread, which means it has a bubbly inside and a very thin, crispy crust. My grandmother used to make bread this way, back when different hydration levels weren’t a thing. I took her base recipe and added my own twist. That’s how Caramelized Onion Bread was born.
Why you’ll love this recipe?
- Airy and spongy texture: Due to high water concentration, this bread is light and fluffy with millions of air pockets throughout the crumb. It is soft to the touch but has a thin, crunchy crust. When you pull the slice apart, you’ll see its delicate, open structure, that almost melts in the mouth.
- Old-school recipe: Traditional bread is simply the best and it has only 4 ingredients! It has a homey aroma, amazing taste, and wonderful texture.
- Short proofing time: This recipe doesn’t call for hours of waiting, as it will be superb with only an hour of proofing. Of course, it will be even better if you let it rise a few times, but it is not necessary. The texture and taste will be untouched!
- Minimal kneading: 5 minutes of kneading is just enough to tie all the ingredients. I would rather call it mixing, as it has a significant amount of water, so you can’t do it by hand.
- Interesting twist: Caramelized onion and garlic add interesting sweet and umami notes, making the bread super aromatic. Parmesan adds a bit of nuttiness and pungency, rounding the whole bite. You can enjoy this bread on its own and it will still be full-flavored.
Ingredients
The BEST recipe for bread consists of 4 ingredients only, and that’s exactly what we have here. I bet you have them all in your pantry!
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour, but you can go for bread flour, as well
- Yeast – dry yeast was my choice, but if you have sourdough, even better
- Salt
- Water – use lukewarm water
- Parmesan – use grated. This is optional
- Onion – use yellow onions for perfectly balanced sweet and savory notes
- Garlic – for the buttery flavor profile
- Olive oil
Tools you’ll need
How to make caramelized onion bread?
- Knead the dough: In a mixing bowl, add dry ingredients first: flour, yeast, and salt. Combine them and make a dent in the middle. Add lukewarm water in two portions. Use a wooden spatula to combine everything into a gooey, bubbly, and stretchy form. Cover with plastic foil or a lint-free dishcloth. Leave to proof for an hour.
- Caramelizing the onions: Slice yellow onions thinly and add whole garlic cloves in a non-stick pan. Brown it over olive oil until caramelly and almost stringy. Season with salt. Splash some water every now and then to prevent burning. Mash the garlic cloves.
- Assembling the bread: Knead the dough for a minute with a wooden spatula. Add caramelized onions, mashed garlic cloves, and grated parmesan. Combine well.
- Baking: Transfer the dough to the loaf pan you previously lined with parchment paper. Coat the paper with butter thinly. Let the bread sit for about 15 minutes to rise while the oven heats. Bake the bread for 1 hour at 360 °F (180 °C) without a fan, or at 20 ° less with a fan.
Smells like home, right?
Recipe alternations
- Add herbs: Herbs are fun and easy to twist to elevate the taste. Mint, thyme, rosemary, basil, or oregano would be smashing in this recipe. I recommend using dried and ground herbs, though, for a more intense flavor and seamless texture.
- Swirl in some pesto: A few spoons of fine-quality pesto will skyrocket the taste. It will be the most prominent taste, though, because it has a strong, nutty taste.
- Add olives: Olives are fantastic in the bread. I think they would pair fantastically with caramelized onions. Both black and green olives are great options!
- Add sun-dried tomatoes: A pop of color from diced dried tomatoes is always a good idea. It adds a bit of tartness and tanginess to the overall taste profile.
- Jalapeños: For those who like a touch of spiciness, finely chopped jalapeño peppers are truly an interesting addition.
- Bacon: For an additional savory taste and a touch of crispiness, bacon is superb. I would definitely recommend you to try this combo.
Tips
For flawlessly textured and baked bread you will need just a few tips:
- Kneading: There is really no need to knead much, but there is a technique. Use a wooden spatula and pull the dough from the bottom to the top. It is more stretching than kneading.
- Bake it perfectly: For a crispier crust, bake the bread at 390 °F (200 °C) for the first ten minutes. After the bread gets golden crisp on top, cover it with parchment paper to avoid burning it on top.
- Cooling time: Cool the bread to room temperature before slicing it. Slicing hot bread makes it stay slightly wet inside once it’s cooled down. Remove it from the loaf pan while still hot.
Storing instructions
- Cool down: Cool the bread at room temperature before storing it. Otherwise, it will become soggy due to condensation.
- Wrapping: Plastic foil is a good choice to keep the bread moist and spongy. Still, keeping it in the bread box or oven instead will work as a charm because the onions in the dough make it harder to dry out.
- Room temperature: Opt for storing bread at room temp, as it will stay the freshest that way. Of course, it is best consumed within a few days, especially because of parmesan in the recipe.
- Refrigeration: If you want to store the bread in the fridge, consume it within a few days. This actually accelerates staling.
- Freezing: This bread freezes finely, just slice it beforehand. Use parchment paper between the slices, though.
Other recipes you’ll love
Caramelized Onion Bread
This is high-hydration bread that turns out perfect and pillow-soft every single time. The recipe for the bread is simple and basic, with 4 ingredients only. I decided to spice it up a bit, so I kneaded in caramelized onions, garlic, and parmesan. The texture is amazing – airy and bubbly, but with minimal kneading and proofing time. So, I'm sharing step by step recipe for Caramelized Onion Bread.
Ingredients
- 17.6 oz all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp yeast
- 2 tsp salt
- 16.9 oz water (lukewarm)
- 2 yellow onions (medium)
- 3 garlic cloves (medium)
- ½ cup parmesan (grated)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Knead the Dough
- In a mixing bowl, add dry ingredients first: flour, yeast, and salt. Combine them and make a dent in the middle.
- Add lukewarm water in two portions. Use a wooden spatula to combine everything into a gooey, bubbly, and stretchy form. Pull the dough from the bottom to the top in a stretching manner.
- Cover with plastic foil or a lint-free dishcloth. Leave to proof for an hour.
Caramelizing the Onions
- Slice yellow onions thinly and add whole garlic cloves in a non-stick pan. Brown it over olive oil until caramelly and almost stringy at medium heat. This will take about 15 minutes.
- Season with salt. Splash some water every now and then to prevent burning. A tablespoon of water at a time. Mash the garlic cloves.
Assembling the Bread
- Knead the dough for a minute with a wooden spatula.
- Add caramelized onions, mashed garlic cloves, and grated parmesan. Combine well.
Baking
- Transfer the dough to the loaf pan you previously lined with parchment paper. Coat the paper with butter thinly.
- Let the bread sit for about 15 minutes to rise while the oven heats.
- Bake the bread for 1 hour at 360 °F (180 °C) without a fan, or at 20 ° less with the fan.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 90.4kcalCarbohydrates: 16.4gProtein: 3gFat: 1.3gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.6gCholesterol: 1.4mgSodium: 220mgPotassium: 40.2mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 15.8IUVitamin C: 0.8mgCalcium: 30.1mgIron: 1mg
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.
